


The Money Problem

by agoldfishnamedgail



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Baby Laurel, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agoldfishnamedgail/pseuds/agoldfishnamedgail
Summary: With no Time Bureau and a room full of stolen goods, the Legends need a way to have money. Which then leads to unexpected benefits for Ava, Sara, and Baby Laurel
Relationships: Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Comments: 1
Kudos: 65





	1. The Agency

**Author's Note:**

> Baby Laurel appears again. But we have to set the story up first.

The Time Bureau had been shut down. They no longer had a funding source. And sure, Mick's propensity to steal the occasional object that no one will miss solved their income problem. But only to a point. You can't use gold doubloons to buy food stores for a future AI's generator to keep your girlfriend's team fed and happy. And try walking into a 22nd century salvage yard with a Faberge egg and expect to leave with anything other than that same egg. All of which found Ava in Sara's office pacing around, trying to think of a solution.

She'd been participating in Legends' Missions for the better part of two years, but it had been in her role as an Agent or Director of the Time Bureau. And now it was in the role of "Mrs. Captain" as Nate had so graciously dubbed her. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Add it to the long list of things she was feeling unease about at the moment. Including what she could bring to the team, other than "Captain's bed warmer who also had fighting skills". She was happy to be a sounding board for Sara. And the team really did listen to her ideas when they were plotting against the newest Fugitive or Encore. But to go from the director to an extra body in a fight left Ava feeling undercommitted.

She also felt extreme unease at not having a plan.

Which is why she was plotting to get them a viable way to funnel Mick's treasures into workable currency.

They probably be able to get a dealer to buy a lot of the items. But explorers in 2020 were well documented and to "find" such large treasures would be a red flag. Plus then she'd then have to route money through an account that was either accessible to all the Legends or transferred money to them. And it was all too traceable for her liking. She thought of off shore bank accounts - but it would still have to be transferred through a usable bank account. She considered building a trust, but the memories of the entire Time Bureau team had been erased of Time Bureau work so there weren't any financial experts who would be familiar with their unique circumstances. Ava only escaped because she was already on the Waverider and she didn't have anything more than basic training on budgeting. She'd considered working with a financial planner and then wiping their memory, but they'd then be managing an account that they didn't have a recollection of ever starting. She been thinking of ideas and dismissing them for two days, taking breaks for snacks and to spend time near the team. She wanted to know them better, now that she was living with them full time.

Pausing in her pacing to scribble down a note about the newest idea, Ava's thought was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. "Ava, Ava!" Nate came bursting into the room. "You gotta come see what Gideon found." The glee on his face was evident.

"Nate, I'm trying to some work," Ava started to explain. She felt like she was nearing an idea that might work.

"No, no," he said grabbing her wrist "you have to come." He was pulling her towards the door. Ava offered some resistance.

"Nate, I want to work."

He dropped her hand and turned to look at her with a very serious stare. "Gideon found a video of Sara playing a detective with her dad when she was 8. It's 35 minutes long. Of her just hunting for clues. We've watched 2 minutes of it. And you have to see!"

"Oh. This I have to see, definitely" she agreed, conspiratory mischief in her voice.

"I know! Come on."

They rushed to the library and she found all the Legends crowded around the screen, Sara standing in front of it "Come on people. Stop it. Gideon shut it off." Her face was equal parts embarrassment, glee, and possibly pride. Looking at the corner of the video she could spot over Sara's shoulder she understood why. 8 year old Sara was very dashing in her dad's suit coat and a tie sloppily tied around her neck, a small notebook in her hand and a determined look on her face.

"I'm sorry captain. Something seems to be wrong with my video controls."

"Liar," she answered to the AI.  
She tried to make herself bigger to block more of the screen while Charlie and Behrad through popcorn at her in an attempt to get her to move. It was then she noticed her girlfriend. "Ava! Help. This is humiliating."

Ava quickly stepped over to Sara "You're right -" she put her arm around the shorter woman.

"Thank you" Sara responded, so grateful for Ava.

"It IS humiliating that you're standing here and won't let us see this masterpiece." And she swiftly moved Sara out of the way to the cheers of the rest of the team. She pulled Sara down on top of her in a vacant lounge chair and held on tight.

"You're all terrible. I hate every one of you," she turned to Ava, "especially you."

"You don't. Now be quiet. I can tell we're getting to a good part." On screen, Sara had just arrived at a nondescript door and was explaining to the camera that inside was a person of interest.

Sara groaned "this is torture. I can't watch" and she buried her face into Ava's neck, ducking her head below the woman's chin.

"It's adorable" Ava responded, quiet enough that only Sara would hear.  
Sara's only response was another, softer, groan.

On screen the door opened to reveal Sara's mom.

“Good evening ma’am, I’m detective Lance and I’d like to ask you a couple questions.” Dinah was clearly in on her daughter's game. Ava felt Sara shift. Her embarrassment outweighed by the opportunity to see her family alive and well. The team settled in and watched as the entire Lance family got involved; Quentin appearing as her client and Laurel making an appearance as the Detective's assistant. It was during a long conversation between the sisters in their "office" that Ava found her inspiration to solve the Legends' finance problem. She pushes Sara up mumbling "That's it!" she rushes from the library ignoring the cries of the team and Sara.

\--

Hours later, Sara finds Ava still in her office, a mess of papers and notes surrounding her. There's a neatness to it that is so essentially Ava - but there's a lot of it. Sara stands in the doorway for a minute just watching her. It's been a while since she's seen Ava quite so professionally alive - her girlfriend really does love paperwork as much as she loves the field work.  
She gets her fill for the moment, her girlfriend never becoming aware, and then walks further into the office.

“Babe?”

“Hmm?” Ava answers tilting her head towards her girlfriend, but keeping her eyes on the screen. She’s got a pen clenched in her teeth and is furiously typing.

“You coming to bed?” Sara asks, moving further into the room, her curiosity growing.

“Yeah in a bit.” Her tone is distracted and entirely unconvincing. Sara cannot begin to guess what she’s working on; all the missions in the previous weeks had been pretty standard. Ava is paying little attention to the captain, so Sara starts reading some of the papers on the desk. She’s halfway through the third sheet she finds when Ava looks up from the screen, searching the desk before her eyes land on the page Sara is holding. Ava yanks it from her hands and begins transcribing part of it.

“Hey!” Sara is a bit affronted.

“Sorry. Want to finish,” Ava answers with little remorse in her voice. Sara debated whether to push on it or not. She knew Ava would share whatever her project was eventually. But she had rushed off while they were watching the video. And though she really didn’t want the team to see it, once she didn’t have a choice, she'd sunk into the chance to see her whole family in one place again. Seeing them all happy and healthy on screen had been difficult for Sara but made easier by Ava’s closeness. When Ava had jumped up and run out with no explanation, the second half of the video had been harder to watch. Though watching with the Legends team did ease the most painful of her feelings, and provided the distraction of needing to combat the ribbing she was being subjected to. Still, part of her had kept looking towards the door hoping her girlfriend would return. After the video the team had dispersed and Sara, assuming Ava was working, had spent some time in their quarters. She could wait for Ava to finish before processing her feelings with the former Director. And then three hours passed and Sara wavered between curious, frustrated, and sad. Which brought her to her office. She decides to push. She’s feeling just raw enough to not have the patience to give Ava space.

“What is all this?” She means her tone to be nicer.

Ava doesn’t answer for a minute, giving time for Sara’s frustration to start building. Then Ava responds “what?”

“What is this?” She asks slowly.

“What’s what, babe?”

“Ava,” Sara whines, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

Ava continues to type and Sara thinks very seriously of closing the laptop on her. She doesn’t have to make the decision because Ava types one last sentence and then turns to the Captain. “I solved our problem.” The excitement in her voice is palpable.

Sara thinks for a moment trying to remember what their problem is. She can think of nothing. “What problem?”

“Our money problem.”

Sara shakes her head. Maybe she’s just overtired. But Ava is making no sense. “We don’t have a money problem. Mick’s stealing stuff.”

“Ah. Exactly,” Ava raises a finger in the air to make her point, “but we don’t have a way to turn those things into money.”

Sara starts to reply and realizes she has no response. Ava’s right. How will they turn a gold chalice or a jeweled crown into liquid funds. She decides to be frustrated with her girlfriend later because now they have an actual problem. That maybe Ava has solved. “What’s your solution?”

“The Adventurer’s Society,” Ava gestures with both of her hands in front of her as if revealing a master plan. Sara has no idea what she’s talking about.

“That weird Indiana Jones society we sent Nate and Zara to to get them to make out?” Sara cannot follow Ava’s idea in the least.

“Yes.” Before Sara can ask, Ava continues, “Nate was telling me that even though they were only there a day, he made some contacts. I’d bet a couple of them deal in artifacts. And can change money for our stuff. And then we’ll put that money into a business, cook the books a tiny bit - my job, of course - and then when 2020 rolls around there will be money in a company,” she pauses and turns to the desk before finding a piece of paper that’s she then shows to Sara, “that can pay us actual paychecks.” She finishes with a big smile.

Sara looks at the check and then at her girlfriend. She admits, on first hearing it, the plan sounds pretty solid. “What’s the business”

“A private investigation firm.” She points to the corner of the check “the Lance Detective Agency. It’s why I jumped up.” At the time she was she settled on the name she thought Sara would love it. Now she’s not sure. So she keeps talking. “We wouldn’t have to be producing anything or providing a service. I’ll just make up client names every time we put money in. And maybe make up a few files, just in case. And if we go back to the time of the Adventure’s Society, we can buy a building pretty easily. And then poof. Low maintenance business with any number of employees we want, flexibility to add or remove, and plenty of ‘clients’ to put in the books for our money.” She’s run out of plan at this point and now just has to wait for Sara.

Sara only makes her wait a short bit before asking “Lance Detective Agency?”

“Well yeah. The name’s been around Star City long enough it won’t stand out.” She starts with the fact. And then adds the real reason. “And you're the Captain. And it’s important to you. And uh, you were a really cute 8 year old.” She broadcasts her self consciousness to Sara with a half shrug.

Sara just repeats the same thing she'll never be tired of saying “God, I love you.”

Ava blows out the breath she was holding and leans her forehead on Sara’s “I love you, too.”

They stand leaning against each other until Sara asks, “how long have you been working on this?” Sara runs her hand down Ava’s arm.

“Full on? Two days.” Ava shrugs, “but really since I came to the Waverider full time.” She hesitates before she adds, “I wanted to contribute to the team.” Ava stares at the floor.

“Ava, honey, you do contribute.” Sara moves directly in front of her girlfriend, a hand on each of the taller woman’s shoulder. She ducks a bit more until they make eye contact and then stands up, keeping Ava’s eyes on her. “You’ve been a part of this team for months now, you just moved where you keep your socks and murder board.” Sara had snooped Ava’s apartment until she found it - in the closet of the spare room.

Ava fidgets with the hood string on Sara’s sweatshirt, “I know. But I didn’t want to be just ‘the Captains girlfriend’”

“Oh please,” Sara dismisses it so quickly it starts to melt the feeling away inside Ava almost immediately. “No one on the team thinks that. They don’t come to you for your opinion because your my girlfriend. They come find you because they like the way you think.”

Ava wants to believe. “Yeah?”

“Of course. Also, when I had to do the crossover, do you really think I would leave you in charge because we share a bed? Do you really think I’m that kind of woman.”

“No.” Sara was making some excellent points.

“No,” Sara reiterates “I left you in charge because you’re an excellent leader and the team would have its best chance.”

Ava’s smile makes it clear to Sara that she got through. It may not have erased all of Ava’s doubts, but it was a start. She rests her hand on Ava’s cheek.

“Now let’s go get some sleep and we’ll tell the team in the morning. Ok?”

“Ok.” Ava smiles and leans into the hand. Then she reaches up and takes Sara’s hand into her own, starting to walk to the door, “plus I have to see the end of that video.”

Sara pauses in her stride. “About that.”  
Ava’s got glee in her eyes when she turns to look at Sara “come on, I know it’s embarrassing. But your were just a kid.”

“No, it’s not that,” Sara takes a breath, “I didn’t expect it to hurt so much to see them all happy and alive.” She shrugs and looks over Ava’s shoulder so she doesn’t see Ava’s face get very serious.

“Of course you didn’t.” It’s Ava’s turn to rest her hand on Sara’s cheek. “I can’t begin to imagine what that felt like.” And then she asks more quietly, “do you want to talk about it?”

“Not tonight, ok?” Sara’s too tired. And needs more time to understand her feelings herself. “But tomorrow?”

“Absolutely,” Ava gives her a brief but affirming kiss and then resumes their walk to their quarters and bed.

—

In the morning they have a private viewing of the Lance Detective Agency video with significantly more pausing for both Sara to defend her choices as an 8 year old and Ava to point out the good and bad detective work. There are also some tears. And a chance for Sara to share more about the family she’d lost with the woman she loved.

Later in the day, they filled the rest of the team in on the plan and made a few tweaks based on good points from the group. Before they could carry out the plan, they were interrupted by an Encore and Ava dove into the mission planning with a new zeal.

Once the Encore was dealt with and the team recovered a day, Ava and Sara dressed for the 1930's - taking Nate along from his day with "The Adventurer's Society"; the short mission had produced enough contacts to turn doubloons into cash. Ava filed paperwork as A. Sharpe and S. Lance to purchase a small row house in Star City and submitted paperwork to the city registering themselves as a Private Investigation Firm - which in 1930 was a very small amount of paperwork. Ava then had Zari hack into the government systems and monitor for the address, catching any new codes or compliance issues. And then had set up a small routine for herself. About once a month in Temporal Zone time, she'd go and collect the mail - making sure to check it in Star City time at least once every 6 months.

When more women were entering the workforce in the 1950s, Ava hired a sort of Caretaker. She'd do some cleaning and check the mail more frequently - opening and sorting it. Ava then set aside a day each month and called the woman several times in a row, each time a different month in Star City time. Clara, her current hire, remarked at Ava's memory having no idea that the conversation Ava was remembering was only from 15 minutes earlier in the time travelers memory. Every few months she has to hire someone new as 10 year has passed in Star City, but the process tends to be very easy. She pays very well for what appears to be a very small job.

It is during one of these staffing gaps that Ava takes the trip into the office herself. She hasn't been to the office in person for a while. The previous woman to hold the caretaker position had actually stayed on the job nearly 25 years. And had clearly taken it on herself to make the space functional. There was now a large desk and two deep leather chairs across a low table in front of the fire place. There were a couple pieces of art on the walls and some basic office supplies on the desk - a desk lamp, a roll of stamps, some envelopes and a calendar reading 1989. Ava sat down to go through the mail and then check on their finances by reviewing the books. She'd been able to send Nate back to 1930 periodically to sell the items Mick took home which was keeping the Lance Detective Agency housed and heated. And building a very sizable financial base with which to pay the Legends in another 30 years. Before long she realized this space was actually very good for working in peace. She was nearly sure everyone else on the team had forgotten about the physical building and she could go on for hours without interruption. She was able to sit and go through the mission reports, making corrections as needed with no background noise of something exploding in the lab or Charlie blasting music or Mick yelling about the TV. She knew the reports weren't terribly important - they didn't have anyone to report them to. But she had some hope that maybe one day the government would open their eyes again and recognize the importance of their work. She wanted their time with no governance to be accounted for as evidence for the need should she ever have the opportunity to present her case. Over time she added a few more touches to the office herself to make a good working environment.


	2. Unexpected Benefits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where Baby Laurel appears. I still don't know how. Maybe I never will. All I know is they end up with her when she's still an infant, maybe 3ish months, and before they're married - I still don't know what "married" looks like to them. Maybe they just start referring to each other as wife. Regardless. Ava somehow wishes or wills Laurel into existence and she shows up very suddenly and very unexpectedly. But of course Avalance quickly adapts. It's sometimes bumpy, but always right

Since Laurel appeared in their lives a few month earlier, Ava had started to leave her alone with Sara when the Legends had a slow day. Ava had largely sidelined herself from in person missions - they couldn't both go and take the chance their little girl would be orphaned. And Ava knew that to take the mission work away from Sara would be like stopping her from breathing. Plus she didn't mind being QB. It felt the most like her days as Director - a time when she really felt like she had sunk into a role. But it does mean that she spends more time with Laurel. And while she's happy to care for the infant, she wants their daughter to be bonded to both her moms. So she leaves her two ladies alone and takes some time to do a few errands off the ship. She'll go wander a few stores for baby items - Gideon can fabricate anything, but sometimes Ava likes a good browse in a store. If the timing works out, she'll stop by the detective agency and make sure everything's in good shape. She'll make sure it's not a caretaker day - the whole point is to have quiet time, plus she's only aged a few days while the caretaker has usually aged a year or more.

It's on one of these days she open's the door to find a surprise. "What are you doing here?" she questions her wife, sitting in one of the easy chairs with a crossword and a cup of coffee.

"What are you doing here?" Sara shoots back.

"I asked first." Ava has shut the door but has not entered the room. This was not her plan.

"Crossword in peace. My name's on the building"

"Mine, too." Is she whining? She's definitely whining. But she was looking forward to a few hours of quiet. Laurel was teething and had been fussy the last few days while the team had been running around Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 1903. Thinking of the baby she followed it with, "you're supposed to be with Laurel."

Sara gestures to her chest. Laurel is in a baby bjorn under the blanket, fast asleep. "I bring her here when she won't nap easily and you aren't there to sing her to sleep."

Ava softens. "How long have you been coming here?"

"Almost since we set it up. It's quiet. And with Zari and Ray knowing I hid on the jump ship, that info got out quickly. So this is my new hiding spot." Sara thinks she should maybe feel guilty, but she also knows Ava wants her to take care of herself. And the longer she's Captain of the Legends the more she realizes some quiet time is good for her. "Plus the first time I brought her," she nods down to Laurel, "she settled almost instantly."

"Pretty clever." It is. Ava was certain the whole team had forgotten she set it up almost immediately after she did. "Do you come here a lot?" Ava had no idea that Sara was sneaking away. They didn't spend every minute together so she wasn't entirely surprised. But she didn't like the idea of Sara needing to run so far away. She let the laptop bag down off her shoulder and leaned on the edge of the chair across from Sara.

"I don't know. Maybe once or twice a month. Usually when you have to go take care of something in Star City and my brain needs a break. What are you doing here?" Sara suddenly remembers she was surprised to see Ava.

"I had to come by once between two caretakers. And I found it to be a nice break and a place to get some work done. So this is where I've been coming to go over the books and write mission reports the last 6 months. Did you not notice the new office stuff? And that cactus?" She points to the desk.

Sara studies it a moment. Now that she really looks, she sees an organizer, a stack of files that could only be organized by Ava, and a squat cactus in a navy pot, a flower blooming on one side.  
She turns back to Ava, "uh," she looks a bit sheepish, "no?"

"For an assassin, that's pretty embarrassing" Ava teases. Her big bad assassin that can fight a hoard of demons with one arm behind her back and a blindfold on, didn't pay any attention to her surroundings.

"Hey listen. The last 4 or 5 times I've been trying to get this one to finally fall asleep becuase her Mom has spoiled her with lullabies and her Mama can't carry a tune in a bucket." She pauses a moment, catching the mischief on her wife's face, but continues to defend herself, "or I'm trying to calm down instead of whacking one of other kids in the mouth."

"Reasonable." Ava smiles. Sara was taking care of herself. And their baby. Very well. She then adds, "and I didn't spoil her. It's good for development."

"Uh huh. You try getting her to sleep without it." Sara grumbles, good naturedly. Laurel really is a good sleeper and she doesn't often have trouble.

"Oh don't pull that on me Lance, you've got your own tricks." It was true, though Sara's involved a lot of cuddling and rocking. Which was also spoiling their child. But they were both very aware of how precious life was so who could blame them for spoiling their little girl with love.  
"Listen. I'll go. Leave you to your peace and work somewhere else." Ava lifts the laptop bag back onto her shoulder and reaches for the door

Sara thinks a minute. "Well." Ava stops at the door. "If we're just going to sit here quietly and you're just going to sit over there quietly," she says, nodding to the desk, "I don't see why we can't be quiet in the same place."

"Because Captains need a break, too. Also you're incapable of being quiet as soon as anyone else is around," she squints her eyes and adds, "and I know you too well to know what you'll try behind a locked door."

Ava had moved back closer to Sara; she couldn't help but get another peak of their little girl curled into her Mama.  
"Ava, I'm trapped under a baby. And really do need a break from anything other than this crossword. Assassin's honor." she holds up a hand.  
Ava looks at her wife a long moment. She was skeptical, but she really had gotten used to working in that space. And sharing space alone with her family was a rare treat. What was the worst that could happen? "Ok."

Sara let out a quiet "yay" before grabbing Ava's hand and giving it a kiss.  
Ava leaned down and kissed the top of her head in return. 

Ava moves over to the desk and settled her stuff. It was then she heard very faint music; the surprise of finding Sara in the office pulling her attention away until that point. "Are you listening to jazz?"

Sara ducked her head a bit "I read it's good for brain development. And it turns out, it's not so bad for taking a break."

Ava couldn't help herself. She walked back over the pair and this time left a long kiss at Sara's hairline "You're really something, Lance."

Sara perked up and preened a little. Ava was generally the baby development expert in the family, but Sara was learning.

Ava sat down at the desk and began to go through the mail, expecting Sara to only stay silent so long and knowing the mail was an activity that could be easily interrupted. But Sara stuck to her word of silence. so Ava started to get deeper into her work. The quiet lasted until Laurel woke up. And then only shifted to quiet tones while getting the baby a bottle and a diaper change. Sara knew she should leave Ava to finish her work, but she also recognized their time as a family of three was rare and she wasn't ready to leave yet. Laurel always took some time to fully wake up so Sara thought they could stay quiet enough while they got in some tummy time and worked on rolling. They didn't stay as quiet as Sara had hoped, but Ava found she didn't mind background noise as much when it was her wife and their baby giggling. She updated the last field in her spreadsheet, saved her work, and crawled onto the floor for some family play time.

Seeing Ava on the floor, and having had her own quiet time, Sara knew they could talk again. "Hey. How long have you been coming here?"

"Uh. I don't really know. Maybe the last two months."

"Huh." Sara is working something out in her head.

Ava gives her a minute before asking, "what?”

"I was just thinking. Laurel always slept a little easier when we were here because of the quiet. But a few weeks ago I walked in and she almost immediately settled. And then the same last time and today. I bet she could smell both of us in here." Ava smiled and waited. She could tell Sara was thinking about whether or not to add something else. Sara shifted a little closer to Ava. "I think it calmed me down more, too."

Ava's smile only grew and she stared at Sara.

"What? Too cheesy?"

"I just love you, is all."

Sara smiled back at Ava, "I love you, too." she responded, quietly.

Before her moms could get too wrapped up in each other Laurel let out a loud gurgle, reminding them who the center of attention should be. And then when she had their attention, promptly rolled herself onto her back. Ava and Sara were both immediately so proud of their all star baby and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get her to repeat. But Laurel was as stubborn as either of her parents and was only going to do what she wanted to do.

By early evening both women were getting hungry, and Laurel was going to need more than a bottle for dinner. Ava picked up the desk while Sara collected Laurel's things and tucked her back into the bjorn. Then holding hands, Ava opened a portal into their quarters on the Waverider to drop their things off and free Laurel from the holder before joining the other Legends for dinner.  
Before Sara could leave the room, Ava grabbed her hand and pulled her close "I really liked the time together today."

Sara smiled up at her wife "So did I."

"So a repeat next month?"

"Count on it."

Ava leaned in to kiss Sara over Laurel's head, eventually interrupted by the Captain's growling stomach. "Always hungry," she mumbles and then lifts Laurel out of her wife's arms, "she's always hungry, your Mama." Laurel gurgles her response and the family heads to dinner, both women feeling more relaxed than they had in months.

And a new tradition was born.


End file.
